The two-time defending champions Oval Invincibles topped the men's Hundred table for the third consecutive time and earned an automatic qualification for the final, on course for a historic three-peat. The Invincibles beat their local rivals, the London Spirit, by six wickets, chasing a 153-run target with 22 balls to spare, further taking their net run rate to distant heights for any other team to attempt to get close to them.
The 2022 champions, Trent Rockets, did their best in their attempt as they got an equal number of wins as the Invincibles (six). However, since they chased down 112 in the final set against the Birmingham Phoenix in the final set, the net run rate only came down for David Willey instead of going up. The Rockets finished in the second place and will now take on the Northern Superchargers in the eliminator on Saturday, August 30.
The Invincibles, despite losing a bowler of the calibre of Rashid Khan, look like the team to beat this season. There's a slight chance for someone like Adam Zampa to replace Rashid in the squad, just for one game and that too the final, but with Sam Curran, Jason Behrendorff, Saqib Mahmood and Nathan Sowter in the ranks, the Invincibles have most of their bowling covered.
On the other hand, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Tawanda Muyeye haven't let the opposition bowlers get past their top four in most games. It will take some getting to stop the Invincibles from a three-peat but if the Rockets or the Superchargers are able to pull the unthinkable off, it will be a gripping culmination to a short and sharp tournament.
There's still a league phase game to go with the inaugural champions Southern Brave taking on the Welsh Fire in the return fixture at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, both teams who failed to make it to the top three. On the other hand, in the women's competition, it will be a contest between the teams at the two opposite ends of the table, as the Brave women have already confirmed their final spot while the Fire have won just one game in their whole season.
